Did I really see people “rave” dancing last night at Silver Apples? Yes. Did Simeon Coxe look like an older Garth from Wayne’s World? Yes. Clad in what I hope was a white wig and black-rimmed glasses, Coxe stood alone behind his kit, sampler on one side, oscillator on the other, a screen to his right split to show what both hands were doing.
He’s no spring chicken, but for the first stop on his first tour in eight years, Coxe seemed spry, cracking jokes in between songs, even if his hands aren’t as dexterous as they once were. “Program,” “Whirly-bird,” and “Lovefingers” from Silver Apples 1968 self-titled were delivered via programmed beats, albeit slooooowwed down from the originals; Contact‘s screwed gem “You and I” almost sounded like a techno song. Later in the set, Coxe launched into a children’s song about a purple egg. While what he’s doing isn’t as mind-blowing now as in 1967 (what is these days?), he gets props for continuing to make noise, even in a wig.
This article appears in August 31 • 2007.